From frames to wheelsets, aerodynamics has been the most important development in road bikes lately. Although we know the pneumatics of the frame, we nonetheless evaluate the wheel set's pneumatics using frame height—a practice not followed in reality. From the original V-shape to the U-shape to the UV-shape, aerodynamic wheels have developed over three generations; the V-shape has been phased out because of its lower resistance to frontal winds, and the U-shape is the so-called "fat rim," which is more stable in terms of sail effect and crosswind stability than the V-shape. The U-shaped wheel advances terms of "sail effect" and crosswind stability over the V-shaped wheel. Though the quest of aerodynamics is never-ending, of course, UV shape is only a metaphor; the cross-section shape of every major brand is not precisely the same, so reflecting diverse design ideas. All of them, meanwhile, rely heavily on CFD computations and are validated by wind tunnel experiments. It is thus inaccurate to assess aerodynamics by frame height since the new UV-shaped wheels can even surpass those of the bigger frame height U-shaped wheels.
ICAN AERO 52 WD Disc
The most reasonably priced, high-performance wheels available from ICAN are their Aero Disc series. Inspired by the popularity of their past Fast and Light series, the Aero wheels provide unparalleled performance with a sophisticated carbon fiber laydown and aerodynamic design. The rims are designed for the lowest aerodynamic drag with a 30mm outer width and 21mm inside width. Their tubeless fit from 25–40mm also accommodates the quickest tires.
Shimano Dura-Ace Wheelset
The most recent Shimano wheel set generation marks no little advancement. Shimano uses artificial intelligence for rim design and CFD for analysis to identify the rim form that reduces aerodynamic drag and is less sensitive to side winds for every model. To enable large-scale analysis, including forms that a human designer would never be able to create, the artificial intelligence searches for wheel forms. This reminds us of the lately popular ChatGPT; would it be feasible to create an extremely aerodynamic wheelset with deep learning and training?
The inner (21mm) and outer (28mm) rim widths of the C36, C50, and C60 match one another such that the same tires fit the other. Although the rims' cross-section resembles a conventional "UV" form, this was attained with AI-assisted design considering stability and aerodynamics.
Bontrager Aeolus RSL Wheelset
The new Bontrager Aeolus RSL wheelsets are built to a really high quality. Bontrager's optimization process was formerly conducted in 2D mode, but the 3D CFD technique applied in the design of the Aeolus RSL enables the exact computation of the subtle traction forces generated by the wheelset in many directions, at different levels, and in different parts of the wheelset. Bontrager was able to better reproduce real-world conditions, modify the design, and maximize aerodynamics and rolling resistance using this fresh method. The fastest wheelset Bontrager has ever developed, the outcome is the Aeolus RSL.
With the bigger inner widths allowing the tires to grow rounder, therefore improving the aerodynamic link to the tire, and improved comfort, the Aeolus RSL 51, 62, and 75 have the same inner (23mm) and outer (31mm) rim widths. Designed for a lower frame height, the Aeolus RSL 37 has an inner (21mm) and outer (28mm) rim width. The more "pointy"-seeming cross-section of the Aeolus RSL wheels relates to the wider outside dimension.
Zipp Hookless Tubeless Tire Wheelset
Unlike other companies, Zipp's method of accelerating you considers not just wind resistance but also gravity, roll resistance, and vibration losses, so accounting for not simply Zipp has embraced low-pressure, hookless tubeless tires and a wider inner rim width, and a "one-of-a-kind" technology, the Bionic Wave rim, which combines the aerodynamics of a high-frame wheelset with the stability of a low-frame wheelset (the 454 NSW with the Wave rim saves about 6 watts of power compared to the 404 Firecrest). Golf ball potholes delay vortex shedding from the rim surface, therefore producing an aerodynamic edge effect.
The 454 NSW and 404 Firecrest rims don't look quite so "pointy" in cross-section compared to the Bontrager Aeolus RSL, even if their internal width is 23mm and their exterior width is 28mm without the lip hooks. The 454 NSW and 404 Firecrest wheels' cross-section appears less "pointy.".
ENVE 4th Generation SES Wheelset
Built on ENVE's real-world, quick design philosophy, the Smart ENVE System (SES) series is the trademark wheel set for ENVE's hookless tubeless tires. All of the SES series wheelsets have frame heights and forms especially intended for the flow field in which they ride; the airflow at the front of the bike differs from that at the rear of the bike. Whereas the rear frame height is taller and more streamlined to improve power transmission and minimize drag, the front frame height is less than the rear and has a more rounded profile to maximize crosswind stability and control. Designed and tested for speeds of 48 km/h and 32 km/h, respectively, the SES wheelsets produced rim designs that had best-in-class performance at both real-world speeds.
Using SES 4.5 as an example, one can say that the inner width is rather aggressive and can only be used with tires above 28c, which of course can easily reach the maximum tire pressure of 73psi for hookless tubeless tires, even if the front and rear wheel frame heights are different.The outer width of ENVE can reach 32mm without tire lip hooks since its rims have larger sidewalls, which are more strong and resistant against snakebite. Without tire lip hooks, the ENVE wheels are thicker on the sidewalls, stronger, and more resistant to snakebites, so the outside width can still reach 32mm and the front wheels look fatter while the rear wheels look thinner.
DT Swiss ARC 1100 DICUT Wheelset
DT Swiss's top-of-the line aerodynamic wheelset with maximum technological level is the ARC 1100 DICUT. Aerodynamic, Race, Carbon, and 1100 stand for 180 DICUT hubs, SINC ceramic bearings, and the Ratchet EXP ratcheting mechanism. Aimed for road racing and track riding, the DICUT is the lightest, stiffest, most aerodynamic hub-and-spoke system DT Swiss offers. Road racing and track riding, in which speed is their major focus and custom spoke heads help to sustain extremely great tension.
Since 2016, DT has been building aerodynamic wheelsets with Swiss Side featuring aerodynamic experts; these wheelsets shine in both aerodynamics and stability.With an interior width of 20mm and exterior widths of 32mm, 27mm, and 26.5mm, respectively, the rims of the ARC 1100 DICUT DB 80, 62, and 50 are created quite differently, and this is why the ARC 1100 With an inner width of 20mm but an outside width of 32mm, 27mm, and 26.5mm correspondingly, the ARC 1100 DICUT DB 80, 62, and 50 have various rim designs.
Roval Rapide CLX Wheelset
Different from other types of wheelsets, the Roval Rapide CLX uses an out-of-the-box design meant to guarantee stability and speed in a high-frame aerodynamic wheellet. Lightning engineers With a clearly truncated (and blunted) profile and 25% better crosswind stability than the most stable wheelset on the market above 50mm frame height, the Rapide CLX boasts an "amazing" 35mm outside front wheel width and 51mm frame height. With a substantially shorter (and blunter) profile, which is 25% more stable in crosswinds than the CLX50, the "amazing" 35mm wide and 51mm tall Rapide CLX front wheel is the most stable wheelset on the market with a frame height of over 50mm. Aimed for wind resistance, the rear wheel is 60mm higher and has a more "pointed" design. The greatest way to understand the aerodynamic idea is the Rapide CLX, which also makes all effort to maximize the design. It is hollowed out for lightweight; the front wheel is 35mm wide, and the rim sidewalls are thicker. To guarantee dependability, the initial generation of Rapide CLX advised against using tubeless tires. Although the weight has somewhat changed, at 1500 grams, the Rapide CLX II is still quite light. Its carbon fiber stack construction greatly enhances the test requirements.
Though the Roval Rapide CLX wheels are only 21mm wide on the inside, which fits 25 or 26mm tires, their overall width is rather large. The front wheel is clearly bigger, but if you scale it down, the frame height is roughly 37.5mm if the outer width is 28mm. Are you considering the Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37? Maybe their crosswind stability is similar. BX Jun spent a lot of time riding the Roval Rapide CLX; it will also be ridden on a stormy day and has very outstanding stability.
Now we all know better: the rim is the most technological component of the wheelset; each big manufacturer spends a lot of money and effort in research and development and has different priorities. A hundred grams lighter is hardly comparable to a more aerodynamic and stable experience; thus, it is time to change the wheel set's emphasis from weight to aerodynamics.
